Cool Tips for Summer Savings

June 29, 2015

As we experience the typical Arizona summer heat, it is important to find ways to cut the cost of your air conditioning. With some helpful tips, it’s possible to reduce your energy use by 20 to 50 percent. Here are 9 simple ways to lower your home cooling costs:

Regularly clean and replace your cooling unit’s filter(s) in your home. This can lower the energy of the unit by up to 15%.

Insulate all walls and seal cracks and ducts to keep warm air out. Air loss through your home’s ducts can consume about 30% of the system’s energy consumption.

On cooler summer nights, take advantage of the wind to naturally cool your home.

Install ceiling fans in bedrooms and common areas. This allows you to raise the thermostat setting by about 4 degrees without affecting comfort. When you leave a room, turn off your fans. Fans are useful in circulating the air in a room, not the room itself.

Hire a certified professional to perform annual maintenance on your home’s air conditioning unit. This can help improve your comfort and the efficiency and lifespan of the unit.

Try to limit the amount of appliances you have running in your home. On hot days, consider grilling outdoors rather than using your oven.

Check your thermostat to ensure that the setting is set properly and is reading the correct temperature.

Use energy-efficient window coverings that let natural light in but prevent solar heat gain. This will help to regulate the interior temperature of your home without having to adjust the thermostat drastically.

Utilize your home’s built-in fans. When showering, use the bathroom fan and when you’re cooking, use your range hood. This will help to reduce the amount of heat and humidity in your home.

Find more savings tips and how to diagnose air conditioning problems, visit Energy.gov.